Family Cruise

This year we decided to take our summer vacation well late.  We cruised Labor Day week and we had a blast.  All of us, Brian, Kylie and I, my parents (Grandma and Grandpa) and Brian's parents (Gung Gung and Po Po) went on the Oasis of the Seas for a 7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise.  

Check it out.....

Brian and Kylie outside Johnny Rockets! 

Adventure Science Hour.. Watch out!

Time for Adult Dinner and Kid Play! 

The Carousel.. She rode it close to 100 times in 7 days!

 
The Penguins she saw them and followed them off a elevator.  LOVES them! 

 Super Hero Kylie Day

 If she wasn't on the carousel she was in the water!

Or eating Ice Cream and looking like a Pirate

At the Parade

This is what Brian did for Seven Days.. At all hours.. Flowrider

Kylie in the Circus Show.. Scary! 

Kylie in the Pirate Show.  Shiver me Timbers

We stopped to check on Brian.. Still surfing! 

Surfing is  now history! 

 
Charachter Breakfast.. Watch out the Penguins are Back and why is that boy trying to be in our picture?

Alex the Lion got jealous

 

After breakfast it is important to run the track

Watching Brian on the Flowrider

Brian's Parents were there.. Some how I only have one picture but it is a GOOD one! 

When we got home we transitioned Kylie from her toddler bed to a big girl bed.. So grown up

 

4 Months Post Activation - Exciting News!!

Can you believe that it has only been four months since Kylie’s cochlear implant was activated and she heard for the first time in the new fashion?  I feel like it was years ago.  Today marked a major milestone as today was the first doctor appointment where they officially tested Kylie with the cochlear to see how well she would do.

The results make me get teary eyed and feel very blessed!  On her right ear her hearing levels are normal, okay you knew this would happen as that is what the device is meant to do but it also implies that they have programmed it to where she is hearing appropriately.  There will always still be fine tuning.

The other good news is that when testing with words meaning they say hand and there are four pictures on the page.  One Picture would be a ham, hand a witch and a watch.  She would have to accurately point to what was said and it only could be repeated one time.  Prior to the cochlear implant Kylie scored a 50% out of 25 pictures.  Today she scored a 76% that is over a 25% improvement in 4 months.  Simply amazing, she really is doing so well.

The last part of her appointment is they now have put back the hearing aid on her left ear so the improvements should continue rapidly.

Thank you for following the progress of our little one we are truly blessed by the amazing doctors and technology and are so thrilled with this journey!  Tonight we are celebrating as Kylie was SO GOOD at this 2 hour testing appointment and having an ice cream party!  YOLO

Kylie's First Day of Pre-K (Take Two)

Kylie started the school year today with her teacher Ms Grace.  Kylie had Ms Grace last year and we are blessed to have her again.  Kylie misses the cut off for kindergarten by three weeks, which to us is a blessing as this gives her another year to get used to her cochlear implant as well as develop more speech and language.  

Kylie was super happy when she came home and even told us about her day.  (This is new for Kylie)  She told us that Ms Grace showed everyone in her class her princess ear and she told them she has a purple one and a white one.  Brian and I were shocked and it is just further proof that she is picking up everything like a sponge and we are so excited about what this year will bring.  Kylie also got a note that she had a great day and made some new friends today.

Here are a few shots for those Grandma's and Po Po's out there that are waiting to see the first day pictures!

Is it already August?

Where did the time go?  In a few weeks Kylie will be heading back to school and I am still waiting to go on a full summer vacation.  We have had a lot of fun this summer and truly enjoying every minute.  Kylie's hearing and speech is improving rapidly and we are just having so much fun.  Here are some things we have been up to in the last month..

Kylie went horseback riding at a local park.  Kylie thought it was great but wanted to go faster

We went to the movies with friends

Had a Sunday Fun Day with friends

We attended a friends birthday party and had a blast with so many new things to try

We had a mini vacation over in Marco Island.  We fell in love with the island the people and the laid back relaxed style.  Our hotel was awesome and a bonus was our hotel gave us Popsicles by the pool each day and frozen washcloths to keep us cool!  

Don't we look relaxed?

 
Limbo contest

 We are all resting.. Kylie is hiding under the blanket.  No more pictures Grandma

 The turtle she made by the pool.  What a fun hotel! 

It's morning and she is enjoying the sunrise on our balcony

 
Off to the beach

 Sitting on the sandbar 

 My favorite pictures.  Grandma, I am going to use my water gun to put sand in your hair.  Hysterical! 

 

Brian was there too.. He had to do some work!

 

 No time would be complete without resting for a few seconds.  Kylie and Mac are good at that

We hope you are having a fun summer too! 

Mac turns 13!

Mac, our dog turned 13 this past week.  Kylie felt it was necessary to throw him a big party.  The party included presents, ice cream (dog friendly and people friendly) and even some face paint.  I know it is shocking that she wanted to be a pirate.

Kylie organized it all and sang to Mac and helped him open his presents.  She truly believes that Birthdays are the best thing ever and luckily she doesn't believe that every Birthday is her birthday now. 

 

Five Plus Weeks Later

Time flies when you are hearing new sounds and experiencing new things.  Can you believe that it has been over five weeks since Kylie's activation of the cochlear device?  We can't!  

We saw the doctor this week where they built more programs for Kylie's device each time we go they give us three new programs to keep moving her up and up.  This time the doctor was thrilled with the progress that Kylie was making and commented that soon she would be at full potential of the device.  

A lot has changed since activation day.  Kylie is not only detecting sounds such as her name and words but she is able to repeat back what she hears.  She is still omitting sounds and letters but now is where the speech therapy comes into play.  Her vocabulary is expanding each and every day and we are simply amazed.  Remember this is only with the cochlear device on the right side.  Kylie's left ear which is the better of the two ears albeit still severely deaf is not receiving any amplification at this time.  In a few weeks they are going to allow her to wear her hearing aid again on the left ear plus the cochlear on the right that is going to be awesome.

New sounds over the last few weeks are:

• Chewing of Chips... (She seemed agitated with how loud my chips chewing was and asked me what is that?)
• Birds and there are a lot of them around us and their chirping is new.  She says TOO LOUD BIRDS TOO LOUD
• Today a semi-truck drove by when we were in a parking lot and she nearly hit the ground doubled over and said too loud

 Kylie LOVES her new princess ear and knows how to work the device all on her own.  

She is really enjoying summer camp with her friends.  This week is Hero Week so she dressed up in my Super Women T-shirt with Cape. (No I don't wear it all the time I needed it for a work event)   To me Kylie truly is a hero. 

Here is Kylie warming up with me for our Insanity Workout.  I don't know if Coach Kylie or Sean T was harder! 

 

 
 

School is Out for the Summer!

School is out for the summer and we have been busy trying to stay as cool as possible!  

Here is Kylie on the last day of the school

Time for a summer haircut

Before

 

After

Pool Party - First time swimming with the cochlear adjusted

The Water Slide with her Cochlear and it stays on!!